Anywhere I Go
by Vive Amore
Summary: Alternative ending to Ghosts of the Past (13x21). Contains spoilers!
1. Chapter 1

_Hii (: So the last episode basically left me all broken and messed up because it was just so ASDFGHJKL. For those who have seen it, you might understand why. I had goosebumps for more than one reason. For those who haven't seen it, I suggest you see it first then read, cause this does contain spoilers! _

_But ASDFGHJKL. Can I just spazz out for a moment and say Morganders 3. They were so beautiful and I loved that it was focused on Greg. My only complaint is that it left me wanting more, especially at the end with Greg and Morgan but it was pretty rocking overall! _

_Anyway, the fact that it didn't end how I was expecting it to and the interaction between the two, gave me a little idea for a different ending. So here it is, I hope you guys enjoy and I'd love to hear some feedback/thoughts. -cough, cough- (; _

* * *

_"You know how that sounds right?"_

_"Yeah, crazy. But it doesn't matter, I have to do this."_

Morgan tossed the stuffed animal she had been examining back on the table in frustration as buried her hands into her hair. About half an hour had passed by since she had argued with Greg and she couldn't get the conversation out of her head. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at the thought of her thinking Greg was insane but she couldn't help it. It was crazy to think that a ghost was at fault for the murders of the ghost hunters. Her world consisted of science which meant that if she even considered for a second that there was a possible supernatural twist to it, it'd destroy everything she believed in. No, the answers were in the evidence.

She had found the earring that led them to Monica Downs, which only met that there had to be something in the pile of toys that could help them find the accomplice. She studied the table full of toys. There had to be something in it that didn't fit. She looked over at the bat that was used to kill Carrie. They had found partial prints on it, which Sara and Nick were running, but they were smudged and she honesty knew better than to get her hopes up. Instead, she walked over and picked up the binder of photos from the Simms case and trial that Sean had provided. Monica had been at the trial and appeared in many of the pictures. Morgan remembered how she mentioned that 'one of their boys' had killed Doug and Carrie, as well as how D.B. theorized that there was an eight victim. Was the eight one in here as well?

The CSI was in the middle of flipping through a photo when she heard a knock at the door. She looked up to see D.B. at the door. She gave him a questioning look before he entered. He laughed, "I didn't want to startle you."

Morgan shook her head and shrugged in response. "So I was thinking about how you said there could be an eight victim who was Simms accomplice and it got me thinking, maybe he could be in here?" She explained as she showed him the binder, "After all, Monica was."

D.B. nodded, "It's a good theory but why would he follow the trial? Don't you think he would have tried to get away as far away as possible."

Morgan nodded, "Yes but what if Simms threatened him? That if he ran, he'd have Monica find him or something?" D.B. opened his mouth to answer her but was stopped by Sara.

"You'll never believe who the eight victim is," Sara said as she walked in with Nick. Both Morgan and D.B raised their eyebrows awaiting Sara's response. "Thomas Pope."

"The plant manager at the slaughterhouse?" D.B. asked. Sara nodded as Nick pulled out a sheet and handed it to D.B. for him and Morgan to see.

Morgan's face turned white as her eyes took in the face on the sheet. The binder that she had been holding to, fell to the floor with a loud thump. She felt her stomach sink as memories of the two recent murders came back to her. She stumbled as she felt the room starting to spin.

"Morgan? Morgan?" Sara asked with worry as D.B. grabbed onto Morgan's arm in fear that she'd fall. "Morgan what's wrong?"

"G-Greg," she managed to croak out as her eyes filled with tears.

"Greg?" Nick asked confused, "Morgan, What's wrong with Greg?"

She grabbed the paper from D.B.'s hand, "Greg's with him .. Greg's with this man." The paper trembled in her hand before Nick took it. "Morgan, what in the world are you talking about?" Nick's face was hard as stone as he looked her in the eyes.

Fear had taken over Morgan as tears rolled down her face. She fought to find words before they all came pouring out at once, "When we were in the slaughterhouse in the room where the boys were killed, he seemed weird. Like he heard or felt something. I asked him and he shrugged it off. When we went back to process Carrie's murder, we found her EVP recorder. Greg walked out of the room with it, he was listening to it like he was trying to find some sort of answer. He told me how his grandmother was a psychic and how when he was younger, he was too, that he inherited it. But when he decided to become a CSI, he choice science instead of the supernatural. We talked about it and I thought that had been the end of it but I guess I was wrong. I found him leaving the lab about half an hour ago. I asked him about it and he said he needed to go back, that he needed answers and he was meeting the manager there," by the last word, Morgan was screaming, "Greg's with the murderer! He's gonna kill him, he's gonna kill him! I knew it wasn't a good idea but I didn't do anything to stop him! I should have gone with him!" Morgan fell to her knees with her hands buried in her face sobbing.

Nick knelt down in front of her, embracing her while picking her up. "Morgan, no, don't say that." Her face was buried in his chest as Nick looked at D.B. and Sara. "We need to go, _now_," D.B. ordered as he looked at Sara, "Nick, you stay here with Morgan. Sara, you go get back up." Sara nodded as she took one final look at Morgan before walking out the door to inform the others and get help.

Morgan broke from Nick's embrace, "No, I have to go. I _need_ to go." D.B. shook his head in disagreement, "You're too upset Morgan, you need to calm down. Just stay here with Nick, we'll bring him back. You could only compromise the situation."

"No," she pleaded, "Please I need to go. I want to help." D.B. and Nick exchanged looks, D.B. hesitated before giving her an answer, "Fine but you need to get it together. Stop crying and you do as I say. I know you feel responsible and I know you care, so I'm gonna tell you what I told Greg once. Don't let your heart get in the way, it'll only stop you. If you let it, it'll stop all of us and it might put you in danger as well. Let your head lead and do not for whatever reason go against what I say. Are we clear?"

Morgan nodded she wiped away her tears, "Crystal."

* * *

The sirens blared as they headed toward the abandoned warehouse. Morgan stared intensely out the window as she tried to calm herself down. She felt so much fear and guilt that it was about to drive her insane._ Breathe,_ she reminded herself. the fear consumed her to the point where she wanted to rip her own hair out. As she fought back the tears, she tuned out her own thoughts and listened to what D.B. was saying.

Red and blue lights light up the abandoned building as it adorned the night sky. As the CSI's got out of the car, the LVPD got into place waiting for whatever was coming. D.B. gathered them as Brass and Ecklie walked toward them along with Carlos Moreno. "Jules, Nick, and Sara, you guys take the back. Jim, Morgan, and I, will take the front. Conrad and detective Moreno will stay out here," he paused to look at his team, "Remember, this man is dangerous. He killed two innocent people in cold blood and the last thing we need is to add a third. We're here for Greg, to get him out alive, so I'm gonna say this only once: Do not for whatever reason, let your emotions get in the way. I know we all care but if we stop using our heads, more than one of us will end up hurt," he looked at Morgan, who nodded along with the rest before they all split up in different directions.

* * *

_Come on guys, give me a sign_, Greg thought as he walked into the room where Carrie and the boys were killed. In the time he'd been back, walking around, he had felt absolutely nothing. Just as he closed his eyes, the sensation returned. Chills ran up his spine, as he expected to make some sort of contact with the other side.

Greg's eyes flew open as children's laughter filled the room. It was the same eerie laughter from the EVP recording that came after Carrie's scream, right as she died. As the almost sinister sound rang through his ears, he intuitively reached for his gun. His heart raced as he felt the empty space.

"Looking for this?" a voice asked behind. Greg slowly turned, locking eyes with the man who now dangled his gun in front of his face. He took a step toward Greg. "Wh-why are you doing this?" Greg asked as he stepped back, stumbling into a wall.

"I had to, I couldn't let them speak to the boys. First, it was that man who insisted in filming inside here. Then that girl, she said they were trying to speak to her. They were gonna tell her about me! They're angry at me, they've never forgiven me! They blame me because I wasn't able to stop Walter, because I helped Walter trap them but I didn't have a choice! He said he was gonna kill me if I didn't. The boys were gonna tell them who I was and what I did .. And now you know too .. You know too much," he said as he pushed the gun against Greg's chest.

"Thomas Pope," Nick's voice rang throughout the room as he pointed his gun at the man, "Drop the gun." As the man turned to face the others, he grabbed Greg by the shoulder and raised the barrel of the gun to his head. "No, he knows too much."

"It's too late," Sara said as she took a step forward from Nick's side, "Everyone knows the truth."

Finn came in from behind them, "You're name isn't Thomas Pope, you're really Jonathan Harris. You were Walter Simms' first victim. He took you when you were just eleven. You were a foster kid, always passed along from one home to another, that's why no one bothered looking for you. They assumed you ran away but you didn't. He abducted you and used you as bait to take those little boys. He forced you to watch him kill them, as they cried and begged you for help. But all you could do was sit and watch, silently praying that you weren't gonna be next. Then when he got caught, you ran away. Jonathan Harris died the day Walter was arrested, that's when you became Thomas Pope. But the thing is, those boys stayed alive after all these years. They've haunted you for every waking second since then. That's why you brought them all the toys, not as offerings but as a way to ask for forgiveness. Thomas, you need to understand that their deaths weren't your fault," she pointed at Greg, "His though, will be. Let him go, you don't have to harm him, he doesn't deserve it."

Silence rang throughout the room after Finn stopped speaking. The man looked at Finn then at Greg, before he moved the gun away from Greg toward his own head. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he pulled the trigger.

* * *

D.B. and Morgan stood outside the room as they heard Finn's voice. D.B. brought a finger to his lips as he motioned for Morgan to stay in place with his other. They both stood on opposite sides of the entrance as they waited to see what would happen next. Even in the darkness, D.B. could see the fear in Morgan's face, he could tell how much she was fighting to keep her calm and focus. He reached out to her hand, letting her know that they were all in it together. Morgan looked up at her supervisor and gave him a weak smile.

_BANG_

Morgan felt her heart stop as the sound of the bullet rang throughout the room. Both of them charged into the room with their guns ready. As they took in what happened, Morgan's gun came crashing to the floor. "_NO!_" she screamed as she ran toward the two bodies that were on the floor. Nick and Sara grabbed her, holding her back, as D.B. and Finn ran to both men, checking their pulses.

"We've got no pulse, he's gone," stated Finn as she checked on Thomas.

D.B. looked up at his team as he checked on Greg, "It's weak but he's still here. He needs help, stat."

Jim stood at the entrance of the room, "We need the medics in here _now_, we have a CSI critically injured" he said as he called for help. "Stay with us kid, we're gonna get you out of here," said D.B. as they all looked at Greg's still body, waiting for help to arrive.

* * *

_Please don't hate me! Haha. I promise you that's not the ending it was just getting super long and I had to cut it off somewhere. I have the other part written but I need some suggestions. So I was thinking of making it a mulit chapter fic but I'm not too sure if its a good idea or not? So I need some opinions. Should I or should I just leave it at two parts? That way I know if should change the ending on the next part. Thanks and I hope you guys liked it!_


	2. Chapter 2

_So, good news! For those of you who said to continue, I am! :D I have some ideas on where to go with it and I'm kind of excited! Haha. Second off, I wanted to thank you guys! For those who have reviewed, I love you guys! I really do. For those who've just creeped around, I still love you too! ;D Anyway, some of you guys were confused on how Greg got hurt. I apologize for not explaining it. I know it's confusing but I couldn't find a place to explain in the previous chapter. __The explanation of that is in this chapter. I hope it makes sense, if it doesn't, let me know and I'll try to find a better way to explain. Also, I had to completely rewrite the chapter and in doing so, I ended up with what you're about to read. I hope you guys enjoy it and let me know what you think! (; So thanks again and I hope you guys like it._

* * *

About two hours had passed since the shooting went down and there was still no word on Greg's condition. They all waited nervously for the doctor to come out of the surgery room with any news on their colleagues state. Nick sat on the floor, his back pressed against the wall, with his hands buried into his face. Sara had her arms wrapped around him, with her head resting on his shoulder. Finn stood next to them with her eyes shut as she tried to stay positive. Morgan weeped into Ecklie's chest as he stroked her hair. D.B. and Brass sat on the other side of them without saying a word. They all feared the worst for their friend, who if anything, was more like family to all of them.

Just as Nick looked up, a doctor came out into the hallway. He nudged Sara, both standing up as the doctor approached them. "How is he?" Nick asked. All of them were now gathered around the doctor. The doctor shook his head, "Not well. The bullet that killed Mr. Pope, transected through his skull and entered Mr. Sanders' skull. The bullet lodged near his frontal lobe causing internal bleeding. We were able to remove it before it was too late but it did have consequences. I'm very sorry, but as a result of it, he fell into a coma."

Both Sara and Morgan gasped in horror, as Brass shook his head. "What are his chances?" asked Nick, not sure if he was ready to hear the doctors answer. "We don't know. He's stable at the moment but that could change in a matter of seconds. Your friend sustained a very serious injury. He was lucky to make it out of the surgery alive."

"When can we see him?" asked D.B. knowing that even though Greg was in a coma, they all wanted to be there for him. "Soon," replied the doctor, "He's being transferred to his room as we speak. Once he's settled in, you guys can see him but only two at a time. If you'll excuse me, I have to go back, but if any of you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask."

As the doctor walked away, all eyes turned to D.B. who stepped forward to look at all of them. "I know we all want to see him but remember, two at a time, so who's going in first?" All eyes instantly turned to Morgan. It was more than obvious how guilty she felt and they figured it'd give her some peace of mind but instead of agreeing with them, she shook her head. "I-I can't. I can't go in there," she said as she tried to rationalize her thoughts. "I'm sorry, I can't," she mumbled as took off down the hall, leaving six confused faces behind her. Ecklie was about to take off following her but was stopped by Sara, who grabbed him by the shoulder. "Let me talk to her," she pleaded as she took off after Morgan.

* * *

Sara frowned as she spotted Morgan at the end of the hall. The blonde had her hands pressed against the wall with her head leaning on top of it, facing the floor. As she stepped closer to her, she could hear her sobbing. She stood a couple of inches away from Morgan, "Two months? Or has it been three?"

Morgan's hands dropped as she lifted her head to look at Sara. Behind her puffy red eyes, Sara could sense how her mind spun for an answer as she gave Sara a puzzling look. "You know what I mean, you and Greg, how long?" she asked as she looked Morgan straight in the eye. Moments passed as the two kept eye contact before Morgan dropped her gaze. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled.

Sara reached out toward her and squeezed her arm in reassurance. "When you realized Greg walked into a death trap, you turned hysterical. Nick and I had to hold you back when you saw him on the floor. You've been crying nonstop for the past two hours. Yet you're telling me that there is nothing going on between you two? I don't buy that," she stopped, "Look Morgan, I don't mean to pry nor do I mean to make you feel worse than you already do. I want to help, I really do but please, be honest with me."

Morgan looked up at her, still unsure, as a small smile cracked on Sara's lips. "You know, he came to me the day you two met, telling me how he 'had just met Ecklie's daughter', how he had just met _you_. But the way he said it, the look in his eyes as he said it, it was like he was telling me something else. It was more like he was telling me he had just met his future wife. I know it sounds crazy but I strongly believe that's what he told me that day."

Morgan wiped away some tears, as a hint of a weak smile appeared on her face. Moments passed as Morgan seemed suddenly lost in thought before she broke away from Sara's grasp. She leaned against the wall, letting herself fall to the floor, as she looked up at Sara. Sara took it as an invitation to sit and as she did so, Morgan started to talk. "Six months," she whispered sadly. Her eyes were focused on the floor but her mind off somewhere else. "I remember that day, you know, when we first met? After the Langston fallout, I lost my job and I came here in search of another. I ran into Nick and we started talking. Gosh, I remember how bad of a crush I had on Nick back then. I was so excited to see him, to be able to talk to him. Then came Greg out of nowhere," she started laughing, "It was so awkward! There I was, trying to flirt with Nick, while Greg tried flirting with me! I didn't know what to do or say, clearly, neither did Greg, who kept embarrassing him. I remember how he tried to play it off but it was just _so_ bad!"

A small sad laugh escaped Sara's lips, "Classic Greg." Morgan nodded, "It kept going for a while. I'd keep trying to flirt with Nick while he kept trying to flirt with me. It was like he really didn't get the message that I wasn't interested in him. It didn't take long for me to realize that I didn't really feel anything special for Nick aside from a school girl crush and well, he became more like a brother to me. It was around that time that the whole Mad Ten kidnapping went down. At the hospital my dad mentioned how upset Greg got because of it. I asked Russell and he explained it all. I think that's where I began to fall for him. It just took me a while to actually be able to admit it," her eyebrows knitted together, "I'm pretty sure everyone else realized it before I did. I remember Russell once told me to 'take my boyfriend Greg with me' and Finn was under the impression we were dating."

"But nothing was going on between you two back then?" Sara asked. Morgan shook her head, "No. Not until after Alison Bailey's murder. It was seeing Greg so upset that made me realize how I felt. There we were standing in front of her dead body when Greg realized who she was and all those memories came flashing back, memories with her. When he told me about her, about their time together, I couldn't help but feel jealous. I know it sounds horrible, to be jealous of the dead but I was. The fact that they had history together and we didn't, it bugged me."

Sara followed intensely, taking in every word Morgan said. "The more we investigated the case, the more memories it brought back. It hit him pretty hard. He didn't want anyone to know. I'm pretty sure D.B. and I were the only ones he told. That's when I told him how I felt, more or less, by giving him a pep talk and hoping he'd read between the lines," she explained, recalling how she had told him to move on, that Alison was his past and there was someone waiting for him in the future. "Later that day I found him in the break room. He looked worse than before. There was so much guilt in his eyes, like he was the reason why Alison was dead," She could tell she had lost Sara, "Like I said before, he didn't want anyone to know but the reason why Alison was murdered was because she was trying to get a gift for Greg. Jeff Levitt, the Sinatra impersonator, thought Alison wanted something with him. When Alison invited him to dinner, he took it as a date. When she explained what the real reason for the dinner was, he lost it, he just killed her in cold blood. It was like it was haunting him. That's when I gave him the Sinatra album. I've never been too good with words and that was my last resort. I know the timing of it was horrible but it was my only chance, and he understood it."

She suddenly stopped, hesitating for a second. "We talked for a while after that and then we both went our separate ways. He didn't say or try anything and I didn't push it. It wasn't until a couple of days later when he showed up at my door in the middle of the night during a rainstorm. I didn't even get a chance to ask him why he was at my door in the middle of the night. He just pulled me out and kissed me, right then and there," she blushed, "It was like something taken out of the movies. It was something I had never experienced before. It felt like _magic_," she looked at Sara, her eyes full of tears, "It was like I had found something I never knew I lost. Does that sound crazy?"

Sara shook her head, "No, it doesn't, it sounds lik-," she trailed off as she stared at the wall. She felt her heart ache as memories with Gil came flooding back. As much as she tried to deny it, she missed him. He was the one person who understood her completely, the first man who actually cared, or so she thought. It didn't matter how hard Sara tried, she still couldn't figure out how her marriage had turned so ugly. How the one person who she would have give her life for had managed to hurt her so much.

A concern look grew on Morgan's face as Sara snapped out of it. "It sounds like you're in love," she finished truthfully, stopping Morgan from questioning her. Morgan sighed as she wrapped her arms around her body, "That's probably why it took us that long to get together. When my parents divorced, I swore I'd never fall in love. My number one rule was no strings attached and for a while, it worked. But then Greg had to come in and change everything. After that first kiss, there was no going back. His kisses, his touch, his voice .. it does something to me. Even after six months, I still get butterflies. Just at the thought of him, I'll get a stupid smile on my face. When we kiss, I swear to you, I forget how to breathe. He's the one that kept trying, he didn't give up on me," tears were running down Morgan's face, " .. And I gave up on him. He confided in me about his nana, how she was psychic .. How he thought he was too. How stupid was I to just shrug it off! I didn't believe him! He needed me to back him up on it, to trust him, and I just threw it back in his face! I didn't try to stop him or go with him. He needed me and I let him down. This is all my fau-fau-," she couldn't even finish the sentence from how hard she was

"No, Morgan! Don't! This is not in any way your fault, do you understand me? Greg was the one who chose to go back, despite the fact he didn't know who he walked in their with, that was still his choice. Besides, do you really think you could have stopped him? Or worse, what if you had gone with him? Both of you could be dead! I know you're scared but it's gonna be alright, he's gonna make it through this. I know Greg and I know how strong he can be, he's not gonna give up so easily, especially when he has a reason to live," she smiled at her as she stroked her arm, "Now how about you go into that room to see him?"

Morgan's eyes opened wide as she shook her head, "N-no. I can't."

"Why?" Sara asked not understand how Morgan could love him so much yet refuse to see him.

"Because, what if he doesn't make it? Then what? I don't want my last memory of him to be in a hospital room. I don't think I'm strong enough to see him like that, half alive and half dead. Do you know how much it hurts to know that there's a chance that our last conversation was possibly our first fight? Going in there would just be too much."

"Listen to me Morgan. Stop doubting him. He's going make it, do you hear me? It'll take much more than a bullet to get rid of Greg Sanders. Besides, who do you think he'll want to see when he wakes up? Who do you think will be the first person he'll ask for? You. So please Morgan, calm down and stay positive. You said yourself you let him down. Don't you think that by having so much fear of him not making it, you're letting him down again?" Sara stood up, offering Morgan a hand, "You're not alone. We're all in this together and we're all here for the two of you. _Please_," she begged, "He needs you in there by his side and you know it, so please don't leave him hanging."

Morgan looked up at her unsure, before taking her hand. As she stood up, Sara embraced her in a hug, "It'll be okay, I promise."


	3. Chapter 3

_So, unfortunately I'm not a doctor nor a medical student, which means I'm totally guessing at the terms and I have no idea if whatever I wrote is actually correct. So I do apologize if I'm wrong. I tried looking up videos, to at least sound kind of correct? I'm not sure if it worked on not haha. _

_I felt like it was a pretty good time to actually include/focus on Greg, so voila! This chapter should explain what he's going through and all! I know it's a little different, or at least I feel like it is, since it was a little more difficult to write. Also, I want to give a special shutout/thank you to C.H.W.13 for giving me the idea of this this chapter, so thanks love!_

_Thanks again for the response guys! I love you all and knowing that you guys are enjoying the story, motivates me to write more! So remember to review! Haha. But seriously, I do love reading reviews and getting feedback. If you guys have any suggestions or want to see something in particular, let me know! So yeah! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! :D_

_.. On a total side note: For those of you who have watched the season finale, can we please talk?! I have so much to flip out/vent/cry about. Yeaaah. That is all. Enjoy and review! (; _

* * *

White lights blinded him as he fought to maintain some sort of consciousness. He could hear distant muffled voices as well as the sound of a machine beeping. He felt an overwhelming sense of drowsiness which he kept trying to fight against. He had no idea where he was or what was going on but he was scared. He felt a slight stab in his forearm before slipping out of it.

The room was filled with a sea of blue scrubs, as doctors and nurses worked in the room. Greg lay unconscious on the table as an ECG, monitored his heartbeat, while a tracheal tube, stabilized his breathing. The side of Greg's head had been opened in order to remove the bullet. Seconds which felt like hours seemed to pass as the doctor worked on efficiently finding and taking the bullet out. The doctors eyes gleamed as he located a shiny gold bullet lodged in his temporal lobe between some tissue. "Forceps," he stated, as a nurse handed them to him. As he removed the bullet, the ECG started beeping uncontrollably. "We have a vessel rupture, I need some more suction!" he yelled, "Come on guys, we can't lose him!" They gathered around him, working on stopping the bleeding.

As they stopped the bleeding, the EGC started to flatline. "Damn it!" the doctor yelled a nurse rolled over the defibrillator. "Charge to 170," he ordered as he grabbed the machine. "Clear!" he yelled as he pressed them against Greg's chest. The mans body jumped in reaction but his condition stayed the same. "Charge to 180," he ordered as he repeated the procedure. Greg remained the same as the doctor raised the current, "200!" he yelled as he looked at Greg, "Come on, come on .. Clear!" he pressed the defibrillator against Greg's chest. His body jerked up once again but this time, the machine started beeping again.

Their attention moved from the ECG to the EEG. The monitor which had been monitoring Greg's brain waves was now showing a major change. The frequency which moments earlier was reading normal brain response, was now indicating very little response. "He just slipped into a comatose," the doctor stated.

* * *

_'He just slipped into a comatose.' _The voice that had once seemed very close, now felt like a forgotten memory as it faded away. As he opened his eyes, all the pain he once felt was gone. He brought his hand to his head where he once felt blood. Nothing. His hand was dry while there was no trace of him ever being injured. Just as confusion sunk in, the laughter of children rang in his ears. As he followed the voices, he found himself standing in a very familiar place.

"What the hell," he whispered under his breathe as he stood a few feet away from a yellow house, where eight little boys played as the sun lit up their faces. Greg observed the boys, as he took each and everyone of their faces in. As he realized who they were, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Greg," the voice said as he spun around to face it. His eyes grew wide open as the women smiled. "Don't, it's okay." He still couldn't believe that she was standing in front of him. "Carrie?!" he found himself asking. "Yes Greg, it's me," her voice sounded happy, carefree, the total opposite from the last time they had ever spoken. "How are yo- , How am I-, Where am I?" he asked, as a million more questions ran through his head. Carrie shook her head as she laughed, "You're a curious one, aren't you? Didn't anyone ever tell you, the more you ask, the longer you'll have to wait for an answer?" Greg looked at her skeptically before she stretched out her hand, waiting for his. As he locked hands with her, she guided him toward the yellow house.

They both stopped as they stared at the children, their laughter illuminating it all. "Boys!" Carrie called, as all of them but one ran toward them. "I want you all to meet someone. This is Greg, he's a cop," the boys looked at Greg with wide eyes as he gave Carrie a puzzling look, "A scientist .. Okay, he's more like a .. psychic cop scientist," she explained as the boys smiled at him. "Cool! .. Rad! .. Whoa! .. Awesome!" were their reactions to it as they all smiled up at him. Greg smiled back, holding back laughter from Carrie's introduction. "Anyway, Greg was the one who helped me find you guys. You know how you all said you wanted to meet him? Well, here he is."

"Thank you!" they all chanted as the smallest one ran forward to hug Greg's leg. He knelt down and embraced the little boy. The boy looked at him, his eyes gleaming, with a crooked smile from missing a teeth. Greg felt a pang in his chest as he took in all their faces. _They were so young, so innocent,_ he thought as they all went running back to play. "You know? You really did help," she said as she looked off to the yard where they had resumed playing, "If it wouldn't have been for you, I wouldn't have found them, they would still be lost, especially Johnny."

She looked over to the only boy who had not come up to them while Greg looked at her confused. "Johnny? Not recognizing the name nor the boy." She nodded, "Yes, Johnny .. Jonathan Harris," she paused and looked at him, "You might know him better as Thomas Pope?" The CSI's jaw dropped to the floor as he look from Carrie to the boy, "Pope? That's Thomas Pope?! The guy who killed you?"

"Shhh!" Carried snapped, "Lower your voice, he doesn't know."

"What do you mean he doesn't know? How does he not know that he was the one who killed you? That he killed himself? That he killed m- .." Greg looked at her dumbfounded and in horror, "Am I dead?!"

In midst of it all and despite how serious their conversation actually was, she couldn't help but laugh. She shook her head, "No .. You're .. Well .. Come inside with me and I'll explain."

He did as she said and they both made their way inside the house. As she walked through the hallway, he followed, knowing almost exactly where she was taking him. "Sit," she said as she opened the bedroom door. As they both sat on the small bed, she looked at him, "Do you know where we are Greg?" He shook his head. "I mean, place wise, this house, do you recognize it?" This time he nodded, "Yeah, I think I do. This is my old house, this is where I grew up." She nodded. "This is my old room," he said as memories of his childhood came floating back, he stood up pacing around the room, touching his old things. "I spent so much time in here: solving puzzles, playing chess, it was in this room that I discovered my love for science," he said as he walked over to a corner of the room. His hand grazed the corner of the wall near a window, "It was in this room where I did my first science experiment. It ended up causing a minor explosion which shattered my window, my mom just about had a heart attack," he laughed as did Carrie.

"So why are you here with eight boys, one who includes your murderer, who is now a child? And why am I here? What's going on?" he asked wanting some answers. Carrie sighed, "It's a really long story."

"I have time," he remarked as he went back to sit next to her. "Where to start?" she huffed. "How about anywhere?" he suggested dryly. She glared at him jokingly, "Well, to start off, like I said before, you're not dead. Not really. Do you remember what happened?" He nodded, "Yeah, kinda. It all happened in the slaughterhouse, he was gonna kill me then he ended up killing himself and got me in the process."

"Yes," she said, "The bullet went in through one side and went out the other. You were standing next to him, on the side the bullet went out. That was when it entered your head .. Trust me, it's not there anymore but it did do some pretty damage. It didn't kill you," she paused not sure how he would take it, "You're basically in limbo right now. Half of you is here with us and the other half is unconscious in a hospital bed, Greg you're in a coma."

Greg looked at her with a worried look as she continued, "To answer the rest of your questions: Johnny, or Thomas, as you knew him, is, was, the eight victim. I think you knew that though as well as the reason to why he killed. What I'm about to explain is why he's here with all of us and well, a boy again. When he shot himself, he did it as a way of sacrifice. He did it because he was truly and sincerely sorry. Despite the terrible things he did, at the end, he regretted them and that's what mattered. The reason he's a boy is because he earned a second chance. All the memories of the bad things he did, he doesn't remember that, any of it. When he died, all the bad in him died with him. His conscious, his soul, were wiped clean. He's now as innocent and pure as the other seven boys. That's why he's not the man he was before, it's like he never reached that age."

He nodded, slowly taking in and trying to process what she had just said, "So why are we in my old house?"

"Technically, we're not. True, this is your old house, every inch and corner of it but its more of a memory than it is real. Right now, you're stuck between life and death. You were brought here because this placed played a very important part in your life and you feel safe here. We were brought here because in order to complete our journey, we needed to pay you a visit."

"So .. What's gonna happen now?" he asked. She squeezed his hand, smiling, "That's up to you. Whether or not you want to go back, it's all you." She stood up and gave him a hug, "Thank you for everything. For helping me get to them, for believing me." She broke away from him, "I have to go. They're waiting for me, we have more places to see. But we'll always be here. Don't ever forget that," she said as she started to walk out, "Oh! I believe there's someone else who wants to see you."

Moments later, another voice rang through the room, "Holjem?" Greg stared at the familiar face as it walked toward him. "Nana?" he asked, not sure what to believe or think anymore. "Hei mitt barn," the elderly woman said as she sat next to him, "Look at you my child, you're so big!" The two laughed sadly as she stroked the back of his head. "It's been a while," she said through a thick accent. "It has," he agreed, "You left us when I was pretty young. "I know, gutten min. But that wasn't my decision nor is that why I'm here."

"Then why are you here Nana Olaf?" he asked.

"Because of what that girl said. She was right you know, about you. You have a gift that you've chosen so long to deny but it's there. I know you love you're job but who says you can't love your gift as well? You're not crazy, no one thinks you are, not even the pretty blonde."

"Who? Morgan? How do you kno-," he stopped rearranging his thoughts. "If it's so powerful why am I here? If I really am psychic then how didn't I see Pope as the killer? How did I not realize I was in danger?" he asked defensively.

Nana Olaf smiled at her grandson, "You were afraid. You sensed it and chose to ignore it. You went looking for the wrong answers Holjem. You need to believe in your gift. You have within you, a very special power. So use it .. and use it wisely," she advised.

"Nana, if I start telling everyone I'm psychic, they're gonna think I'm nuts!"

"I think you already are," she joked as he looked at her unamused, "You don't have to tell anyone if you don't want to. Besides, if anyone asks, you can simply say its intuition or something?"

"Seriously Nana, _intuition or something_?" he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

The elderly lady rolled her eyes, "Fine, Holjem. You come up with a better excuse, just promise me you'll stop denying what's inside of you, it's who you are. Stop denying the only connection we have." He looked at her skeptically. "Or at least try?"

Greg sighed, "I can't make any promises Nana. Science, it's my life. That's what I chose when I became a CSI, to leave my gift behind. If I start believing that I'm psychic, where does that leave me as a CSI." He smiled at his Nana, who looked sad, "How about I accept it when I need it? When I can't find the answers to things?" he suggested.

She stayed quiet for a moment, "Fine but stop denying it at least."

"Agreed," he said as he pulled her in for a hug. "I miss you," he whispered. "I know, I do too," she whispered back as she pulled away. "I have to go now but remember, I'll always be with you no matter what." She leaned in to give him a kiss on the forehead, "Jeg elsker deg," she said.

Greg smiled, "I love you too." He watched as she started to make her way out. "Nana? .. What's gonna happen to me?"

She smiled warmly at him, "I don't know Holjem, what do you want to happen?" With that, she was gone, leaving a very confused and teary eyed Greg alone.


	4. Chapter 4

_Yo, whuddup kiddos? I just wanted to thank you guys again cause you're all awesome! Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I'm glad to know that you guys are enjoying the story and it motivates me to keep updating! Here is the next chapter, I hope you guys enjoy it! I also want to apologize real quick if there are any random words that shouldn't be. I'm writing on a tablet and I have no idea why but it keeps correcting me and trying to finish what I'm writing, it's stupid :/ So if a sentence seems odd, I apologize, I went back and tried fixing it as best as I could. Anyway, like I said before, I hope you guys enjoy it and lemme know what you think! (; _

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"Do you want me to go in with you?" Sara asked as the two woman walked back into the waiting room. Morgan nodded, "I do but do you think I could spend a few minutes alone with him? I just, I need to take it all in and I need to talk to him." Sara nodded, "Of course, whatever you need." The two exchanged a small smile as the walked back into the waiting room. The doctor who had been talking to the group, shook hands with D.B., before walking away as the two women approached the group. "What's going on?" Sara asked.

D.B. could see the worry in both women's eyes, possibly assuming the worst. "Nothing to worry about, he just came to give us more details on Greg's condition and to let us know that we're able to see him when we're ready," he explained, "They ran more scans and tests on him, he's definitely in a coma. They ran the GCS on him and he got a three. Like the doctor said before, he's completely unresponsive but we all know that it doesn't mean he gone. The bullet's gone and they completely stopped and closed the rupture that caused him to fall into the coma. Despite that he's in a coma, he's still here and we should take that as a good sign, okay?" They all nodded in agreement.

"Now that that's been settled, who's goi-" Morgan stopped Russell before he could even finish. "If it's alright with everyone, could Sara and I go in first?" she asked as Sara put a hand on her shoulder. Up until a few moments ago, she thought that Greg and Morgan were just having a fling but after talking to Morgan, she now knew it was much more. They were in love and she belonged by his side. However, she also knew how much they probably both wanted to keep it a secret, which meant that Sara would have to cover for Morgan in order to not attract attention.

"Yes, can we?" she begged, "He's like a brother to me .. to us and it'd just mean a lot if we could see him, even if it's for just a few minutes." She knew that suggesting a sibling relationship between the two younger CSI's was a stretch, especially since Greg's crush on Morgan wasn't a secret, but she needed to help Morgan cover her tracks. Her reactions from the last six hours said it all and if she wasn't careful, the whole team would come to the same conclusion she did, and she knew that wasn't something Morgan was ready to face up to, especially alone.

They all nodded, "That's fine then. He's in the ICU, floor 7, the staff should be able to tell you what room he's in." Sara nodded as she took Morgan by the arm and led them to the elevator. As they waited for it to arrive, Morgan looked back at her team. They look tired, almost broken. She sighed. _This isn't fair_, she thought.

_DING_. The elevator rang as Sara nudged her in, pressing the button to the seventh floor. The two were quiet, neither of them saying anything as they walked out of the elevator towards the reception desk. "Desert Palm Hospital, ICU," the woman said, "Yes .. Yes .. No unfortunately not .. Alright let me transfer you." Both CSI's waited as the woman finished the call. "Sorry about that," she said as she hung up the phone, "How can I help you?"

"We're looking for a colleagues room, he was just transferred into this unit, "Gregory Hojem Sanders?"

"Of course," she paused, "Erm, How do you spell that?"

"H-o-j-e-m," replied Sara, as the woman smiled. "Alright, so it looks like your friend is in room .. 314. Just walk straight till you reach the end of the hall, make a right, it's the second door to the left. Only two people are allowed at once," she looked at her screen, "Also, keep in mind, visiting hours end in about forty minutes."

Both Sara and Morgan thanked her as they made their way to Greg's room. As they both stood in front of his door, the two exchanged looks. "Alright, do you want me to stay out here and wait or do you want us both to go in and then you stay?" Morgan looked at her then at the door, before dropping her gaze. Sara didn't need to be a mind reader to know what Morgan was thinking, "Morgan," she said cautiously, "You can do this. Just take a deep breath and go in there. I'll wait out here, I promise, I'm not going anywhere, and neither is Greg. We went over this already, he needs you and you need to be the one next to him."

Morgan kept her eyes fixed on the floor, "I just, I don't even know what's wrong with me. I want to go in there, I know he needs me but I can't. I'm scared." She looked up at the brunette as she covered her mouth, "Gosh, this is a nightmare! You know, it sounds delirious but part of me is actually expecting to wake up any second now. But I'm not and I should know better! Why can't I just be having a terrible nightmare? Why does this have to be real?!"

Sara pulled Morgan into a hug, as she cried. Tears were beginning to tremble down Sara's cheek. As hard as she wanted to stay strong, to not cry, especially in front of Morgan, it was getting to her. It hurt to know that one of her best friends was lying in a hospital bed, between life and death and that another friend was falling apart because of it. "I know it's not fair, Greg doesn't deserve to be in that room but there's nothing we can do. All that's left is for us is to be there, next to him, waiting for that moment when he'll open his eyes and make fun of what happened."

Her last comment made Morgan smile, as she broke away from the hug. "You're right," she said, "And thank you .. for everything." Sara smiled back, "Anytime .. Now go in there, Prince Charming's waiting for you." Morgan stepped forward, grabbing the door knob, "Actually, can you come in with me?" she asked as she looked back at her friend. Sara nodded, as Morgan backed away from the door, letting Sara open it instead.

Morgan gasped as she covered her mouth once again while Sara crossed her arms. What was before them, was worse than either of them had imagined. Greg lay silently on the hospital bed, covered in sheets. A white bandage wrapped around his head, while some wires were connected to his skull, monitoring his brain waves. A tracheal tube was inserted down his throat, to help him breathe. Different needles were stuck in his arm, which were surrounded by different types of bruises. He looked pale, all the color and sense of life, seemed to be sucked out of him. Nothing like the man they had both seen hours earlier. The only sign of life was the sound of the heart monitor.

Somehow through it all, Morgan found the courage to walk toward Greg. She sat on a small empty side of the bed, as she touched one of his legs. "Look at you," she whispered, "So peaceful and quiet .. You know? .. When I said that I wished that just for one day, you'd just shut up, I didn't mean it," a small sad smile appeared on her face, "It was a joke, I was kidding .. so can you wake up now? Please?" She looked at him, her eyes filled with hope, that maybe, somehow, he would.

Sara cringed as she watched Morgan talk to Greg. She looked like a helpless child, scared and naive, like if she kept asking, begging him, he'd actually listen. Sara cried silently. She wasn't sure what was worse: knowing that the man she viewed as a little brother, was in a life or death situation, _again_, or the painful memories that came flashing back as she watched Morgan beg him. She chewed on her lip as she tried to calm herself down. Seconds seemed to pass before she couldn't handle it anymore. As supportive as she wanted to be, it was just too much. Without saying a word, she spun around, reaching for the door and gently closing it behind her. Outside, she took a deep breathe as the tears started to roll down. It was just too much: she was already dealing with her broken heart, to try and keep Morgan's intact. Sara paced down the hall, attempting to clear her thoughts, not daring to take another look back at room 314.

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Sara's slip had gone unnoticed by Morgan, who sat still in place, staring at Greg. "How is it that even like _this_ you're still the most handsome man I've ever met?" she asked, almost expecting an answer. The monitor beeped as Morgan shut her eyes. She felt exhausted, growing more and more tired by the minute. Her eyes felt heavy as her body ached. While her body longed for sleep, her mind raced. As she opened her eyes, she looked behind her, searching for Sara, only to find her gone.

She frowned, knowing that the situation was just as hard for Sara. Morgan dropped her head as tears started to hit the bed sheet. _Stop_ _it_, she thought, mentally scorning herself. Not only was Greg's bedside, the last place she wanted to be crying at but the fact that she had been crying nonstop for hours, was something she hadn't done in a while and it was taking a definite toll. As she wiped away the tears, she stood up and kneeled next to him. "Greg," she said as she cradled his hand in hers, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have said those things to you, I should have believed you. You trusted me with something so delicate and I took it like there was something wrong with you," she paused, "I need you to know, to understand, that there is _nothing_ wrong with you. Gosh Greg, you're perfect, I'd give anything for you to understand that. You're smart, funny, caring, handsome .. The total catch. You're the one person who knows me better than I know myself .. You're my other half." Her eyebrows knitted together, "Do you understand why I can't lose you? Because if you leave me, you'd take part of me with you. I love you Greg Sanders, to the moon and back, and I know it sounds selfish but you can't go anywhere because I need you. I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't do anything knowing that you're not by my side, that I could lose you at any moment. Please, make it through this. I need you to wake up."

She squeezed his hand as she looked up at him, "I need to hear your voice again: I need you to tell me how my cooking sucks, how beautiful you think I look in the morning when I look like crap, I need yo-, I-I nee-" she stopped as her voice started to crack, "I need you to tell me you love me because I want you to hear me say it back," she whispered. "I'm ready to say it, scream it. I've been a coward and I'm _so_ sorry, you deserve better. I need you to hear those words come out my mouth. I know how much you've yearned to hear them and I'm ready to say them. The fear I felt of letting you hear those three little words is nothing to what I feel like now. So please, come back to me, save me."

"I don't care anymore. I don't care if anyone finds out about us. I don't care if I lose my job, I just can't bear to lose you," the sadness in her voice was turning into anger as moments passed, "This isn't fair and you know it! You promised me a night to remember, a special night to celebrate our anniversary. Is this your idea of a special night?! Lying in a hospital room, in a coma?!" she let go of his hand, standing up in the process, "This isn't funny you jerk! Tell me, how would it feel if _I_ was the one in that bed while _you_ were begging _me_ to wake up?! Sara was wrong. I should have been with you, I should have been the one to get shot .. I shouldn't be the one to be dealing with all this. You're the stronger one not me," her voice weak, defeated.

As she ran her hands through her blonde locks, she stared up at the white ceiling, fighting back tears once again. As she dropped her head, she stared intensely at the floor. With shoulders hunched over, she started pacing around the room. Her eyes still glued to the floor as she avoided making contact with Greg. As much as she wanted to run out of the room, she knew she couldn't. She belonged next to him, making sure to be in the same room for when he woke up. He needed her just as much as she needed him but seeing him in that state, it made it all real. His life was hanging by a thread and she wasn't ready to face up to the truth.

As a tired yawn escaped her lips, a gentle knock came from the door. Morgan looked as the doorknob turned and a head peeked in. A man dressed in blue scrubs stood at the door, "Miss? Visiting hours are done." Morgan's eyes flew to the clock that was placed above the door, reading the time. She nodded, "Can I at least have a moment to say goodbye?" she asked. The man looked at her with sympathetic eyes, "Just make it quick," he said before shutting the floor and leaving them alone.

She walked back to his side, sighing. "I have to go .. I'm sorry. I don't .. I don't want to but I _have_ to. I'll be back tomorrow, I promise. So please, don't go anywhere. I'll be back as soon as I can, first thing in the morning, okay? So just stay here and get better. do me a favor and wake up soon, okay? I'm expecting to see that gorgeous smile of yours soon, okay?" she bent down, kissing his forehead. "I love you," she whispered as she turned around and walked out the door.

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"Morgan?" The blonde turned to face Sara who stood at the other side of the hall. She stood in place as Sara walked toward her. "I'm sorry Morgan, I wanted to stay in there with you but it was just too much." Morgan gave her a small smile as she shook her head, "Its alright, you don't have to apologize for anything, trust me, part of me wanted to do the same thing," she sighed. Sara returned the gesture as they walked toward the elevator.

"How do you feel now that you've seen him?" she asked.

Morgan shrugged as they got in, "I don't know. Better I guess? It gave me some peace to be able to see him but still, at the same time it made it all that more real. I guess it was more of a morbid bittersweet moment? I don't really know what to feel anymore."

They both stayed quiet during the ride down, as if with silence, they were saying it all. As the elevator opened its doors, both womens eyes flew to the rest of the team, which was gathered together. They walked toward their colleagues, who stood at the sight of them. "We were just about to send Sam to look for you two," tried joking D.B. as both women smiled.

"Sorry," apologized Sara, "I guess we took longer than we thought."

D.B. shook his head, "It's alright, we understand. The doctor came back when you two were up there, he said no more visitors were allowed after you two."

Morgan nodded, "Yeah, a nurse came in while I-we," she corrected herself, "While _we_ were in there, telling is we had to leave."

"So then do we just come back tomorrow?" Nick asked.

Ecklie nodded, "That would probably be the best idea, for all of us to go home and try to rest. I know we're all worried but moping around here while we bit our nails off is not gonna help anyone. Visiting hours start again at nine am, so why don't we all try to get some shut eye and meet back here in the morning?"

They all agreed as they parted their separate ways. As Morgan walked out to wait for a taxi, Ecklie stopped her. "Morgan, wait,"

She turned around, arms wrapped around her body, as she faced her father. "Don't, don't take a cab. Let me drive you home," he suggested. She looked at him with weary eyes, "Dad, I live on the other side of town, I'd take you forever to get home."

"Fine, then come and stay at my place. There's enough space and I just, I really don't want to leave you alone. I know how worried you are about your friend and it breaks my heart to see you like this." As he finished speaking, she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a tight hug. "I'd like that. Thanks daddy," she whispered, as war embraced his daughter. He might have had missed out on a lot while she was growing up, but he was determined to make up for it, or at least try. She needed someone and as long as she'd let him, he was gonna be there to comfort his daughter.

As they broke away from the hug, he wrapped his arm around her, "Lets go home," he said as they walked to his car.

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_So the ending is probably not the best but I promise you there's a reason as to why it ended like that. I also promise some Greg again, very soon! I know it's a little lengthy but I hope you guys liked it (;_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey guys! So I really wanted to upload the new chapter before I had to leave for work, which means I wasn't able to revise it too well. I apologize for any mistakes and such! so here's the new chapter, I hope you guys enjoy it! It's a little ooc but hopefully it's alright (: Again, thank you all for everything! You guys rock! And remember to let me know what you think! ;D_

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"Morgan."

She froze as his voice rang through her ears. She could recognize it anywhere, it was the voice she had been longing to hear. It was Greg. She stood frozen, not knowing whether to turn. When she finally did, a gasp escaped her lips. Instead of the broken ghostly man she had seen in the hospital room, before her stood a very healthy living looking man. Any sign of the trauma he had endured was gone. He stood before her with a smile on his face, his hands buried deep in his pockets as if he wasn't sure if it was really her.

"Morgan," he repeated as chills ran down her spine. He was the only one who could have that effect on her just by saying her name. She stood there, staring at him, her jaw slightly dropped, as she looked him up and down. She felt lost, confused, not sure where either of them were. "G-Greg?" she heard herself ask as her hand reached out to touch him. As her hand touched his face, he placed his on top of hers. "It's really you?"

"Well, were you expecting Superman?" He joked as she shook her head. "No, of course not!" she smiled as her tone saddened, "It's just, it's the first time I've heard your voice in weeks." She dropped her hand as she stared at him hard. "I know," he began, apologizing, "I just haven't been able to find my way back."

"Your way back?" she asked cautiously, not sure if she understood what he meant. He nodded, "Morgan, look around you, do you even know where we are?" She looked away from him, doing as she was told. As she took it all in, she grew even more confused. She shook her head, "Where are we?" she asked, still looking around.

The two stood under a shady green tree as the soft breeze gently pushed a swing that hung from it. They were surrounded by a sea of gold, as the wheatfield went on and on for ongoing miles. An empty road stood at the distance along adorned along the side by cherry blossom trees. The sky promised a happy day, colored in a cerulean blue as hints of white clouds peeked throughout it. It was a truly beautiful sight, which was what scared Morgan the most. It was a place she'd never been to, a place she could only dream about.

Greg shrugged, "I don't know," he answered honestly. The young woman's eyes narrowed at his response, "You don't know?" she repeated, his answer only made her feel worse. Instead of feeling happy for finally being able to see him, she felt worried. How was it that the last time she'd seen him, he had been lying in a hospital bed in an almost vegetative state, only for him to now be perfectly fine in some sort of field. It didn't add up, _unless_ ..

"Am I dreaming?" she asked. He shook his head again, "Not necessarily." He stretched out his hand, waiting for her to take it. When she finally did, he walked them over to the swing. As they both sat down, he began to explain. "Let me just start from the beginning .. The reason I don't know where we're at is because I just got here. I'm not sure how long it's been but I've been basically just jumping from place to place. After being shot, I ended up in my old childhood house," he paused, not knowing if he should continue, "I .. I ended up talking to some _people_ who tried to explain it to me. After talking to them, I ended up in another place, and it just keeps going. I jump from place to place, whether I want to or not. I'm not sure how many places I've been to anymore. It's like when I least expect it, I turn up somewhere else. The reason I'm here now, is probably because of you."

"Me?" she asked as he nodded. "You .. Morgan .. This isn't a dream. You're probably asleep right now, which is why your presence isn't as strong as mine or why this doesn't feel as real as it does to me. Your body, it's where it fell asleep but your soul, it traveled. It ended up here, with me, and I'm happy it did," he looked at her with sad eyes, "We really need to talk."

Morgan spaced off as she tried understanding what he just explained. Part of her wanted to argue that it wasn't possible but instead, she kept quiet, knowing that more or less, the reason she argued was how they ended up in this mess to begin with. "Morgan? .. Morgan?" his eyes were filled with worry as he stared at his girlfriend. As confused and scared as she probably was, Greg could help but notice how beautiful she looked. She looked exactly how he remember, which only made him miss her more.

As she snapped out of it, she looked at him with the same worried look. "What .. What do we need to talk about?" the tone in his voice scared her. He didn't sound like his normal happy self, he sounded like someone she didn't know. He took her hand, intertwining his hand into hers, as he leaned into kiss her. Sparks ran through both their bodies as their lips met. They kissed slowly, sweetly, neither of them wanting to break away from it. It was an overdue kiss, something both of them had longed for in the time Greg had been shot. As they broke away, he pushed away a loose blonde stray of hair. She smiled at him as he leaned in, kissing her on the forehead. It was the first time in the time he'd been wandering around, so to speak, that he actually felt happy. He knew he missed Morgan but it hadn't phased him that he had missed her as much as he did, until now.

He opened his mouth to explain, when she beat him to it. "I miss you," she said, "I mean, I know you're not gone but sometimes when I just sit there, watching you, it feels like you are. You don't move, you don't speak, you don't do anything and it scares me. The only way I know that you're still there is by the beeping that rings throughout the room. That's how I know your heart is still beating, it's what gives me hope and terrifies me at the same time. I'm so scared that I'll walk in one day and that room will be silent .. that you'll be gone. Everyone tells me you're gonna make it but as the days pass, it gets harder and harder to believe them. The doctors tell us your lucky, to be where you're at now, but then they say that your brain activity remains the same, that you show no progress. D.B. keeps telling me to hang in there, that when I least expect it, I'll walk in and you'll be awake. Sara reassures me that you'll get through it, that you have before. And then there's Nick, who says that you're probably just messing with us, pretending to be in a coma just to screw with us and that you probably convinced the doctors to go along with it."

She looked down at the ground as she dug her heel into the dirt, "We're all trying to stay positive but sometimes it's just too hard. I've found it so hard to try and focus on cases. I'll be out there processing a scene or talking to a suspect when something I see or something they say, remind me of you, and then I remember how you're still unconscious in a stupid hospital bed and it's just not right. What's made it easier is that D.B. and Sara know, they both figured it out. Now D.B. pairs me up with Sara just in case I become distracted or it becomes too much, she'll take over. They're both keeping the secret but I have a feeling Nick might know as well. Actually, I don't even know anymore. It wouldn't surprise me if everyone in the lab knew. I've been so reckless with trying to hide my emotions," she laughed sadly, "I've tried to seem like I care but not care too much? I don't think it's worked out too well. At least no one has asked me, I think they know better. I feel like everyone's so careful around me, like if they say or do the wrong thing, I'll start crying but I think I'm done with the tears. I cried so much during those first few days, I didn't know I had it in me."

His hand reached over to her chin, as he picked up her face. As he looked into her sad eyes, he felt his heart sink. He was doing the one thing he had promised her to never do, hurt her. He knew she was brave, that was one of the many things he loved about her, but he could also see that part of it was an act. Looking her in the eyes, he could really see what she felt. He had broken the one person he had ever truly loved and knowing that what he was about to say, would break her even more, it killed him.

As he broke away from her stare, he looked around at their surroundings. They didn't have much time. The perfect sunny day had taken a sudden gloomy turn. The bright blue sky was now replaced by gray and purple clouds. The soft breeze had picked up speed, turning into crazy wind. Greg knew what would come next as he tried to keep calm, "Morgan," he looked back at her, his tone as serious as ever. "We don't have much time left. I need you to listen and listen carefully." She nodded as he explained, "Every time I travel to another place, my presence becomes stronger, it becomes more real. I keep trying to find my way back home but there's always something that gets in the way. My memories, they're becoming a blur. My childhood memories, they're gone. I'm forgetting more and more as I end up somewhere else. As much as I'm fighting it, whatever's happenings it's stronger than I am."

"Morgan, I'm not sure if I'm ever coming back. I don't know if I'll be able to wake from this."

She looked at him in horror, as her lips trembled. The wind blew harshly against both of them, making them stand from the unstable swing. He wrapped his arms around her, burying her into his chest as he tried shielding her from their surrounding. The friction of the the wind had caused a twister which now headed toward them. Greg swallowed as he took it in, they only had seconds left. As he let go, he looked her in the eye, still holding her by the shoulders. A single tear rolled down her face as he reached to wipe it away. "I need you to promise me that no matter what happens, you'll be okay. If I don't come back, don't cry for me. Promise me, that if I die, you'll find someone else to love. You'll make a life of your own, that you'll start a family and all those dreams you said you had? You'll make them come true. I need to know that you'll be happy. Morgan, I need you to be happy, with or without me."

The blonde shook her head, "But I need you, I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he repeated, "That's why you need to promise me you'll be okay. Morgan, this might be our only chance to say goodbye, so I need to hear it from your lips, _please_. Tell me you'll do all that, if not for you then for me. Live the life we could have had for the both of us."

She stared into his eyes, before pulling him in for one last kiss. They broke away slowly, as she held him by the neck, their noses barley gracing each other. "I promise," she whispered, "To do all what you said, to try to he happy and make everything you said come true. And I promise, to always love you, whether or not you come back to me." She leaned in to kiss him one last time before they were interrupted by the twister.

Morgan stood in place, eyes filled with horror, as she watched how it took Greg away, sucking him into its fury. "_NOOO!_" she yelled as she stood frozen. As much as she wanted to run after him, to be sucked into it with him, something kept her from moving. Her hands covered her face as she watched the twister move along, she could hear her name being called from a distance but she knew it wasn't Greg's voice. As the storm vanished into nothing, she felt herself be free from the unexplainable strain. As she ran toward the field where Greg had vanished, she found herself falling into a hole before everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

_To all my lovely little ladybugs :D ..I'm kidding, unless you guys want to be my ladybugs?! Haha. Sorry, I'm running on like five hours of sleep (Ignore me (; )!.. But anyway, hi guys! :D So here is the new chapter (obviously), I hope you guys like it. There was originally gonna be another part to it but I figured it wouldn't really make sense, so I'm splitting it into two parts. The next part is what would have been in this one, so it might be a little on the shorter side? After watching a few of Morgan's first episodes and then the finale, it made me realize how much progress there has been between Ecklie/Morgan. I also really like Ecklie and I wanted to try and show him in a different way. Again, I hope you guys like it. I'm gonna aim to post the next part around the weekend or so. However, reviews might encourage me to post it sooner -hint, hint- (; .. But I will try to post it soon, I promise. Again, thank you guys for your support/response! .. I'm pretty much rambling on now so I'll stop and if you read all that, you rock!_

_One last thing though. I know you guys have asked questions and are wondering about some stuff. I'm not ignoring the questions, I will answer them soon, most likely in the next chapter to be honest. But I just wanted to let you guys know, I have read them and I have answers, I promise! (:_

_Enjoy and let me know what you think! (: _

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Morgan turned and twitched on the brown leather couch as Ecklie stood over her calling her name. He had woken up only minutes earlier to find Morgan talking in her sleep. He had tried to wake her up by whispering her name but she remained the same. His voice shook as it grew louder, he was beginning to panic. The last time he had seen Morgan in such distress while sleeping was when her grandmother died, at age nine. He had woken up that night to check on her, only to find her talking to her dead grandmother in her sleep. He had called her name twice that night before she regained consciousness. However, this time, was different and it was starting to scare him. He wasn't sure what Morgan was dreaming about but she was deep in slumber and there was something going on that kept her from waking.

"NOO!" she screamed, still in deep unconscious. A scowl appeared on his face as he gently shook his daughter, trying to get her to wake up. "Morgan," he said again, "Please, M, wake up," he begged, shaking her by the shoulder. It was then when the blonde shot up, eyes wide open as she gasped for air. Her head pounded as she brushed her hair away from her face. Her hands rested on her head as Ecklie watched her with worry. They both exchanged looks before Ecklie wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. As Morgan broke away from the hug, Ecklie's eyes bore into hers. "Morgan, what just happened?" he asked, "What were yo- .. who were you dreaming with?"

Morgan blinked as her fathers question played in her head. As she tried recalling her dream, she came up empty. Flashes of it came back but nothing that made sense: There had been a field, a tree, a swing, a storm .. Oh God, Greg had been in it, he had been awake in it. Her eyes knitted as she tried to remember what had happened in the dream .. nothing. She looked up at her father, "Nothing, no one."

He kept his stare on her. "Don't lie," he responded flatly, seeing past it. He studied his daughter with uneasiness, "You know Morgan, you had me really worried for a second there. I came down to see if you were awake only to find you talking in your sleep. I tried waking you up and you wouldn't budge .. Can you even begin to understand how scary that is Morgan? To find your child in some sort of unconscious daze and not get them to wake up?" his gaze seemed tired as he held his daughters hand. She shook her head, "Dad, I'm sorry. I'm not, I wasn't trying to scare you." Her free hand reached up to her face as she covered her mouth, thinking, as much as she wanted to tell him, she wasn't sure if she could trust him.

Ecklie could sense the frustration in Morgan as he stood up from where he had been kneeling and took a seat next to her on the couch. "You can talk to me you know? I just want to help. I really do. I know I've made a lot of mistakes, some that I've paid for, others I'll probably never be able to make up, but I'm trying. I really am," he stopped, "I also thought we were past this M. I thought we had something better going on? I know things will never be how they were before your mother and I divorced. I missed out on a lot while you were growing up. I wasn't there when you needed me but I'm here now. I want to, I like to believe that we can try to be like we were once. Remember how close we were?"

Morgan nodded silently. How could she forget? He had been her hero, her best friend, he was part of the reason she ended up being a CSI to begin with. "I was a crappy father, to say the least. I chose to spend my time trying to move up a job rather than to be with you and your mother. I should have been there Morg, helping you with your science projects, watching you at your little league games, taking you to those father daughter dances. You deserved so much more than that. Honestly? That's one of the main reasons I never fought for you. I let your mom take you away because I knew I wouldn't be able to provide you of what you really needed. As much as I hate to admit it and as much as it did hurt, I'm glad I didn't fight for you. Imagine if I would have? Do you think you would have turned out to be who you are now? I know you wouldn't have. If you would have stayed here with me in Vegas, you would have been alone, abandoned. You've always been so special M. You were so bright as a child, you lit up every room you walked into. Always so curious and friendly. And now? You blossomed into this amazing woman. Intelligent, beautiful, compassionate .. your mom and Jerry did a great job," he admitted, "One I would have never been able to do."

Morgan smiled at him as she fought away some emotional tears. She could tell he was being honest, that he really did feel horrible for abandoning her, which made her feel a sense of guilt. She had spent so many years with a heart full of anger and hatred toward him. She had built up so much resentment toward him that she never bothered to ask why. He had let her go because he honestly and truly thought it would be for the best, and it had been. It now pained her to know that she had spent so much time, thinking so many horrible things about him, when all along he hadn't done it because he didn't care but because he did care. She reached out to hug him as he did so as well. Things between them weren't too smooth but they were getting better, especially after he got shot.

Despite Morgan giving him a second chance, it didn't always mean they saw eye to eye. After all, Morgan was his daughter, she had inherited his headstrong personality, which put them at odds at times. Yet, after hearing everything he had just said, she couldn't help but let go of all of the negativity she felt. He was still the father she had always loved and admired, he just needed a chance to prove it.

_Trust him_, whispered a voice in the back of her head as they pulled away. Morgan sighed, debating whether she should really open up to her dad, before she started to speak. "I was, the dream I had, it was," she stopped, trying to sort it all out, "I don't really remember it, I swear. I'm trying to but all I get is flashes of it. I was in the middle of some sort of field. It was beautiful, something I've never seen before but then it turned into a nightmare. There was a storm, a tornado, it destroyed everything."

"Was someone else with you?" he asked. Of course, he had heard her. Morgan nodded, "There was," she paused, "I was dreaming .. I was .. it was Greg. He was in my dream. Before you ask, I don't remember what he said or even what I said. All I remember is that he was there and he was awake. He was telling me something, it was important, I know it."

Ecklie looked at his daughter sympathetically, "Morgan, you know that's probably not true? It's just your emotions getting the best of you. I know you're worried, everyone is. We all want him to wake up, to recover. He's a great CSI and a wonderful human being, he doesn't deserve to be fighting for his life."

"But it's not just that," she said.

"You still feel guilty then?" he inferred, "For the last time Morgan, no one blames you for not letting anyone know Greg we-,"

"No dad, it's not that," she tried explaining.

Ecklie continued, "-nt back by himself. None of us would have thought that Pope would have been the killer. You weren't the one who put a bull-,"

She interrupted, "Dad, that's not why I feel so bad."

Again, Ecklie continued, not paying attention to what Morgan was trying to explain. ".. You weren't the one who put a bullet through his head, you didn't send him into a coma. You're being too hard on yoursel-,"

She interrupted once again, "I don't feel guilty about it anymore. I know it's not my fault. Yes, I'm worried along with everyone else but the-,"

This time, it was Ecklie who interrupted, "Good because you're not. It was an accident an-,"

Morgan's voice grew with frustration as it overlapped with her fathers. Her tone grew higher as it echoed throughout the room. "I'm in love with him!" she blurted out. Morgan couldn't believe what she had just admitted to her dad. Those were not the words she had been planning on using. There was a blank look in her eyes, she wasn't sure how to recover with what she had just said.

"What did you just say?" his voice was stern, which made Morgan nervous. It took her a second but she was able to compose herself. She lifted her head with perfect posture, looking at him dead in the eye. "You heard me," she said in a defensive tone. She suddenly felt uncomfortable, the look he gave her along with his tone, made her uncertain of his reaction. If she had to explain her relationship with Greg, she was going to do it with pride. She owed Greg that much.

It was as if Ecklie sense his daughters defensiveness. Right as those words came out of her mouth, his eyes softened along with his tone. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I'm just .. surprised."

"Of what I said?" she asked. He nodded, "Yes. I mean, I knew Greg had feelings for you. He didn't try to hide them or if he did, he was terribly bad at it. I realized his feelings were pure when you were kidnapped in that helicopter. The way he acted that day, I had never seen him like that before. He was so angry, so worried .. What I never figured was that you felt the same way."

Morgan smiled, "I didn't, not at first. I knew he liked me ever since the day we met. I thought it was cute at first, almost flattering. I didn't think much of it, I even flirted back for a while, but somewhere along, I started to develop real feelings for him. One thing led to another and eventually, we began a relationship."

Ecklie looked at his daughter, he wasn't sure what to think. "How long have you guys .."

Morgan seemed amused at her fathers uneasiness. She wasn't sure if it was because this was the first time she was talking to him about something so personal or if it was because she had just told him the man who had stolen her heart was Greg. "Been dating?" she laughed, the way he had just asked that seemed so awkward. "A little over six months, I guess almost seven now?"

He nodded, taking the information in. "And no one knows?"

"Before the accident, no. I'm pretty sure everyone just assumed we were flirting like always. Now? I'm not too sure. Sara and D.B know, now you do too. Nick might now? I'm not sure about everyone else. If they know they haven't said anything," she shrugged.

"So what you're telling me is that for almost seven months you were able to keep your relationship a secret?"

She nodded, "Pretty much, yeah."

"Wow," he said, "I'm not sure what's more surprising, the fact that you two were able to hide a relationship from everyone, _including_ Hodges, or the fact that you fell in love with Greg. Don't get me wrong, Greg's a great guy but I didn't think he'd be your type."

"My type?" their conversation had definitely taken a turn, one that made Morgan actually want to laugh, which had been something she had been forcing herself to do for weeks. "Please, enlighten me dad, what's my type?"

Ecklie held back a glare as he rolled his eyes. She was mocking him and he knew it but he could also see that seemed to enjoy it and he was ready to do anything to see his daughter happy, even for just a moment. "I don't know," he shrugged, "A little bit more buff? Less weird? Less annoying?"

Morgan scoffed, ready to defend her boyfriend's physique but stopped knowing that wouldn't be the best idea. "He's not that bad!" slaughing with a smile on her face.

A smirk appeared on his lips, "I know," he confirmed as his voice turned serious, "I've known Greg for years. He's a great man. He's a terrific CSI and one of the most gifted people I've met when it comes to DNA. Now, I won't lie. I wasn't his biggest fan when he worked back in the lab. He was immature, annoying, and loved to kiss butt. Then, as the years passed and he became a CSI, he became a little more tolerable. I'm not gonna tell you I know him well, cause I don't. From what I do know, however, as well as heard .. He's a truly special person."

Morgan smiled in agreement, "Does this mean you approve?"

Ecklie sighed. "As the sherriff, I can't condone it. Rules are rules M. You both broke them," Morgan frowned "But as your father? I'm really happy for you. You found a great guy and I now more than ever believe he's gonna make it out alright. Greg doesn't give up a fight too easily, especially when he has something fighting for."

Morgan's smile returned, "That's what I've heard."

Ecklie reached over to hug his daughter, "Now how about we get ready and go visit him? Who knows, maybe today's our lucky and we'll find him awake, waiting for you?"

Morgan's eyes beamed, "That's all I wish for."


	7. Chapter 7

_I owe you all a HUGE apology. I am so sorry it has taken me weeks to update! I started school a few days after my last update and it literally threw my schedule completely off. All I do is work, school, and sleep. It's not fun. However, that's not really an excuse. I wanted to put up an author's note to let you guys know why it was taking me so long but I didn't want you guys to think it was a new chapter only to find out it wasn't ha. Anyway, I will continue to update but obviously, it's gonna take me a little longer than usual. I'm so sorry ): Anyway, here's a brand spanking new chapter! Enjoy! (;  
_

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As the door pushed open, the only sound that came from inside the room was of the machine that monitored Greg's heartbeat. He lay still, the same way he had been for the past three weeks. His wounds were starting to heal. The bandage that had been wrapped around his head, was long gone. His wound was now visible as it began to patch and scar. The tracheal tube was gone as well, instead replaced by a nasal cannula, to support his breathing. His body was adorned by less needles than it had been, with only two on one arm, and one on the other. Yet, somehow, he looked worse than before.

Nick frowned as he entered the room, shutting the door behind him. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he had been expecting to see Greg awake. It was stupid and pointless of him but he along, with everybody else, could not shake that feeling off. It had become almost like a routine: go to work, come visit Greg, go home. Some days, going home wasn't even an option. He would end up showering and getting ready in one of the hospital bathrooms, grab something to eat from some sort of drive thru, and get straight to the cases. Most days, most cases would distract him enough to not think about Greg but some days, it just got to him. He took the seat next to his bedside and just watched him. He wasn't sure what to believe anymore.

He already lost a best friend, a brother. He couldn't lose another one. No, Greg couldn't leave them. He had to wake up. They were all a family and families were suppose to stick together not fall apart. As much as Nick tried to understand, he couldn't. His arm rested on the side of the chair as he stared at Greg. "C'mon G, wake up. This isn't like you. You hate being put, you can barely sit still for five minutes, let alone spend three weeks laying down," he smiled sadly, "You're letting me down Greggo. C'mon say something, do something."

_Nothing_, instead the machine beeped as Nick glared at it. He felt taunted by it, each beep acting more of a curse than a blessing, as Greg laid in limbo. "You know? You've missed out on a lot. With you," he paused trying to find the right words, "_temporary unavailable_, we've been short handed. Too many cases, not enough CSI's. We're trying as hard as we can, but man, you really need to get your ass off this bed and get back out in the field. Seriously G, we need you. We're not just a team, we're family. Who else am I gonna bet against? I mean, c'mon, we both know you're really the only competition I have."

His gaze was down as he looked at his feet. "Do you remember how it was when we lost Warrick? How much it hurt? How hard it was for everyone? _Please_ Greg, don't make us go through that again. I don't think I could handle that. I need you ma-"

A knock on the door interrupted Nick. The door knob turned as he looked up waiting to see who would enter. As blonde curls peeked in, Nick kept his eyes fixed on her, it was Morgan. He gave her a slight nod, which she returned, as she walked toward the corner of the room. Nick watched silently as she stood at the corner, her back leaning against the wall with her arms crossed across her chest. It was a routine Nick knew too well. Like him going from the hospital to the lab, Morgan's routine had become much of the same. She'd spend most her time going from the hospital to the lab to sometimes home but unlike Nick who talked to Greg when he came, Morgan spent most of her time just staring at him. It was as if she had completely shut off and it wasn't until recently that Nick completely understood why Greg's situation was affecting Morgan so much.

As much as Nick would have liked to admit that it didn't surprise him, truth was, it did. Nick was well aware of Greg's feelings toward Morgan. He was probably the first person to realize it, mainly because he had been there when the two met. It was probably not one of Greg's finest moments. In the pursuit of trying to flirt with her, he had made it a little too uncomfortable to the point where Nick felt embarrassed for him. Regardless of the fact that Nick had warned him not to chase after Morgan, Nick knew he wouldn't listen but what surprised him was the fact that eventually, Morgan ended up feeling the same way. It wasn't that he wasn't good enough for her, because he was, but it was more of the fact that he had brushed off Greg's feelings for the blonde as a school yard crush. His best guess was that somewhere between all the cases the two worked together, something blossomed. Which somehow only made Nick feel worse.

He hated seeing Morgan as torn as she was. The upbeat feisty woman he had once met and had gotten to know was gone, instead replaced by some mournful hollow zombie. He wasn't about to admit it but he really didn't like this is of Morgan. She was acting like a completely different person, someone who he wasn't used to being around. In the time Morgan had transferred to Las Vegas, he had gotten to know her, to care for her as a little sister. Aside from a friendship, Nick felt like the two shared a sibling bond. He had her back and he knew that she'd always have his. That was also part of the reason why Nick was surprised when he found out about the two younger CSI's. He knew he was trustworthy enough to keep a secret like that as well as the fact that both of them did trust him, so why did neither of them tell him?

As the question ran through Nick's head, the Texan kept his eyes focused on Morgan, who kept her eyes focused on Greg. He knew Morgan was aware of it by the way that she shifted uncomfortably. Finally, Morgan's eyes met Nick's. The two kept eye contact as the two stayed quiet up until Morgan broke the awkward silence. "You look like crap," commented Morgan, a small smile creeping up on her face. Nick laughed, he knew she meant it and although he should have taken some offense to it, he didn't. It was the first time in weeks that she had actually talked directly at him and he'd take any chance he could get to talk to her. He rolled his eyes at her, "It's not like you're necessarily easy on the eyes," he remarked.

A small 'o' formed on her lips as she let out a laugh, "Hey! That's rude!" Nick shrugged as Morgan threw him a dirty look. Nick shook his head, a small smile still placed on his lips. Morgan's natural side was coming out again and even if it disappear just as fast as it appeared, it still gave him some hope that she'd be alright.

Silence came over the room again as they both uncomfortably looked at Greg. As much as Nick wanted Morgan to open up to him, he knew he shouldn't force her. He knew that if he did, she'd most likely shut him out. Nick's gaze dropped to the floor. He felt almost numb from everything, too tired to even know how to think or what to feel anymore. It was definitely a feeling he wasn't used to. He was used to being the brave one, the one who helped everyone keep standing but how was he suppose to do that when he could barely keep himself afloat?

"Do you think it's true?" Nick looked up at Morgan as she broke the silence once again. He gave her a puzzling look as she explained, "That he's going to be alright? Everyone's been saying that since day one. That Greg's a strong guy, that we're not going to get rid of him that easy, that he's going to wake up with some sort of remark about how he was just messing with us .. but I don't know. I mean, yes, I want him to wake up more than anything but part of me doubts he ever will. Look at him, he seems more dead than alive. How is it that we keep expecting him to be alright with all the signs point at the opposite? It makes me feel so stupid sometimes, to just stand here and watch him. To think that maybe if I keep hoping he'll wake up, it'll happen. It hasn't happened so what's to say it ever will?"

Nick crossed his arms, his gaze never leaving Morgan. "I don't know if it's true or not. I want to believe it is. I mean, he's been in situations like these before. Greg is a strong guy. He's one of the strongest people I've ever met and he doesn't give up as easily as you'd imagine. He's more determined than half of us combined. He really isn't the kind to give up. So yeah, I guess in a way, I do really believe he'll wake up. Think about it. He made it through the gun shot, through the surgery. We could have easily lost him during either but he pulled through. He chose to stay alive. So what if he's in a coma? It doesn't mean he can't wake up from it. Do you really think he wants us to lose faith in him? I know he wouldn't, he'd feel betrayed if we did. We have to keep faith in him Morgan. He'll wake up, even if it takes more time than we'd all like, he's going to be alright," he said, believing his words himself.

The young CSI looked from Nick to Greg, taking in what Nick had just said. "You're right," she admitted, "It's just hard, sometimes _too hard_. There are days when I don't even want to come here. Where all I want is to run as far away as I can from this hospital room. I know it sounds terrible to say that, but it's true. Sometimes all I want is to be as far away from him as I can. It makes me feel like a horrible person but I've gotten so used to having him by my side, working cases with him, that not having him around just seems wrong."

Nick nodded, agreeing with what she had just said. "You know it's alright to feel like that? It's what makes you human. There's nothing wrong with wanting out of this mess. I know Greg wouldn't blame you. But here's the thing, you're not a horrible person, you're amazing Morgan. There hasn't been a day where you haven't come to visit Greg. You're in this hospital room at every waking moment you get. And as much as you want to run away, you know you never could."

"But still I shouldn't be thinking like that."

He shook his head, disagreeing with her, "No buts. You're here and that's what matters. Do you know how grateful he's going to be when he wakes up and sees you? To know that you had his back even when it all seemed like it was a waste? As much as you want to give up, you know you won't. I know you're strong Morgan or else you wouldn't be here. Don't be too hard on yourself, I know he wouldn't like that."

Morgan looked back at Greg, Nick had a point. One of the many things Morgan loved about Greg was how positive he was. He was the one who tried to keep a positive outlook on things even when they seemed to reach their worst possible state. She knew she owed him at least that much. She smiled at Nick, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he said as he returned the smile. The room went quiet once again as Morgan let out a yawn. "I don't get much sleep these days," she explained with a sad smile. He looked at Morgan then to Greg, "I don't think anyone does aside from Sleeping Beauty over here."

Morgan couldn't help but laugh at Nick's remark as she covered her mouth to yawn again. "Why don't you go downstairs and get yourself a cup of coffee?" he suggested. Morgan looked uneasy, he could tell she didn't want to leave Greg. "Hey, it's okay. He's not going anywhere, I promise. Besides, I'll stay here to keep him company. Go," he insisted, "You could really use some caffeine. The last thing we need is you passing out from exhaustion."

She rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. "Fine, do you want me to bring you back something?" she asked. "No thanks, I'm good. Now go. Who knows? Maybe when you come back a certain someone will be awake waiting to see you."

She smiled as she walked out the room, giving Greg one last look before shutting the door. As the door shut, Nick's attention went back to Greg. The smile on his face faded a bit as a small frown took it's place. Minutes passed once again as Nick just stared at him. Despite the fact that he looked like the living dead, he looked like he was in peace. That made Nick feel a little more at ease. The last thing he wanted was for Greg to be in pain. He watched as the beeping of the machine slowly crept up on him again.

"C'mon G. You need to wake up. We need you, we're still counting on you. Please don't make me go through this again. What I told Morgan, it's true and you know it. You're strong and brave, you can make it out of this, I'm sure of it. Please don't stop fighting. You have so much more ahead of you, so many things to look forward to. You can't just say goodbye to life when it's just starting. If you don't want to do it for yourself or for me or for any of us, then at least do it for Morgan."

"She deserves better than you lying on a hospital bed. She's been here everyday watching over you, waiting for you to wake up. I swear man, I don't know if any other woman would do that or could even handle that. She's strong man, just as strong as you are, which is why you belong next to her. She needs you. I don't think I've ever seen someone care about you as much as she does. Are you really willing to let that all go to waste? You've liked her since the moment you met her and who knows how long it took for her to admit she felt the same. As strong as she's been, she's changed so much without you. She deserves to be who she is, to be happy. If you leave us, I'm sure part of her will too. Don't be selfish man. As much as we all need you, she's the one who needs you the most. Greg, Morgan loves you."

He stopped, his eyes fixed on Greg's hands which had suddenly taken his attention. Nick stared at them, shock ran through his body. He stared as he saw faint movement on one of Greg's hands. He blinked, doing a double take. _Was it possibl_e? It was. Slowly but surely, Greg was breaking out of the coma. A faint moan came from Greg's lips as he wrinkled his face. He blinked as he tried to adjust to the sudden light, taking everything in as blurry shades and shapes. His hand was trying to work its way up to his head as he fought against the drowsy feeling that ran through his veins. His eyes were still trying to adjust as he felt a pair of eyes on him.

Nick was now standing looking at his friend in pure astonishment. Greg was _awake_. He looked at Greg speechless, not knowing what to say or do. Seconds passed as the initial shock wore over him and he realized what he had to do. As he reached over Greg's bed, he pressed the button that called for medical staff. "Oh my god," was all Nick was able to whisper as he watched Greg. Happiness took over him as he realized what it meant. Before Nick was able to say anything to Greg, his doctor came rushing in along with some nurses, who asked Nick to step out while they examined Greg.

* * *

"Room 314," said a nurse through a pager as she ran past Morgan. _314 .. 314 .. 3-1-4_, the number played through her mind as she took a couple of more steps before stopping. As she realized why the number sounded so familiar she felt her stomach drop. The number the nurse had just paged had been Greg's. The sudden calmness Morgan had been feeling was gone, instead replaced by panic, as she felt her stomach drop. She didn't even realize that she had ran to his room until she found herself standing in front of his closed door, with Nick standing in the middle of the hallway.

The man paced back in forth with his hands covering his mouth. "Greg," she whispered, her voice sounding hopeless, defeated. Nick looked up, dropping his hands. He felt a pang of guilt as he took in the blonde's broken state. He shook his head, "Morgan, it's not what you think," he began to explain. Her expression changed to confusion as she waited for him to explain. "Greg .. He woke up."

Her eyes grew as a hopeful smile grew on her face. "What?!" she explained, "Oh my god. You're serious? He's really awake? H-he woke up .." Nick nodded, "Yes. He's awake. He woke up right after you left. I started talking to him and all of the sudden he started moving his fingers. I thought I was hallucinating at first, I've imagined him waking up so much in these past weeks that I thought it had just gotten to me. Then he curled his fingers up and that's when I realized he was actually moving. I looked up at his face and he was reacting, he was waking up. I called for his doctor as soon as I realized what was happening. Right after the doctor rushed in, some nurses came in after him, they made me leave the room. I wasn't able to talk to him, but Morgan, he's _awake_!"

Morgan laughed as she threw her arms around Nick embracing him. He hugged her back, "See, I told you he was going to be alright."

She nodded, she could barely contain how happy she felt. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "When can we see him? I want to see him, _I need to_."

"I don't know yet. They've been in there for about ten minutes now. I'm guessing they should be out any minute now to let us know," his eyes grew wide open, "We have to let everybody know!"

Morgan nodded, "Can we do it after we see him? I just, I want to see him before everyone else gets here. I know it's not fair but once everyone knows, everyone's going to try to sneak in a moment to see him an-"

He stopped her, understanding what she meant, "That's fine, we can wait a few minutes before calling everyone to let them know." Morgan smiled at him, "Thanks."

The two waited next to Greg's door for the doctor to come out with news. Minutes, that seemed more like hours, passed before the door opened once again. As a couple of nurses were the first to come out as they walked away before the doctor came out. "How is he?" Morgan asked as soon as she saw him walk out. The doctor stood in front of the two, "He's awake. I'd take that as a very good sign. He's a little groggy and confused but other than that he seems to be fine."

"Does that mean we can see him?" she asked. The doctor nodded, "Not yet. There are certain scans and tests we still need to perform on him. It appears that the ordeal he went through had an effect on him. It's nothing threatening but it is serious. We're about to prep the radiology room to take him in. I assure you, for the most part, your friend is alright. His health is in wonderful condition despite it all. Overall, he's definitely not in bad shape. We don't want to jump to any conclusions and since we haven't been able to diagnosis him, we'd rather not say. I promise you, it'll only take a few minutes to find out if it did or did not have any effect on him. As soon as we get the results back, we'll let you know but for now, we can't allow any visitors in."

The two nodded as the doctor walked away. Morgan's eyes followed the man as he turned across the hallway, becoming nothing more than a memory. She turned around, facing the door, as her hand outstretched to grab the handle. "Morgan, what the hell are you doing?" asked Nick as he grabbed Morgan by the shoulder. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going in."

Nick shook his head, "Didn't you hear him say we couldn't?" Morgan looked at him, rolling her eyes. "I heard him," she paused, her eyes softening, "Nick, I can't wait any longer. I need to see him. The doctor said he's fine, well, almost fine. I just need to see him, to hear his voice, only for a second."

"I understand but don't you think it's a bad idea?" Morgan shook her head, "No. I need to see him. You can wait outside if you'd like but I can't wait another second. _Please_ Nick, I need to go in there."

The two kept their eyes on each other before Nick dropped his and let go of Morgan's shoulder, "Fine."

He stayed behind her as she opened the door and walked in. As the two stood in front of Greg, smiles grew on their faces. "Greg," they said in unison as he just stared at them. Morgan rushed to his side, kneeling next to him. There was nothing more she wanted than to wrap her arms around him and kiss him but she knew better. Instead, she looked up at him, grabbing one of his hands. "How are you feeling?" she asked concerned.

Greg looked at her then to Nick, saying nothing as confusion grew on his face. He pulled his hand away from Morgan's as he shifted uncomfortably. A frown was placed on his face as he looked back at Morgan, staring at her. He blinked, trying to process her face, her voice. "I'm sorry," he said, "But do I know you?"

Morgan's eyes grew in shock as she looked up at Nick who had the same expression plastered on his face. "You don't know who we are?" he asked cautiously. Greg nodded, "I don't. Am I suppose to?"

* * *

_There you have it! (: I hope you guys enjoyed it. I know I said I'd answer some questions in this chapter and now that I think of it, I realized, I could have answered earlier. I have no idea why I thought it'd give anything away but here goes:  
_

_Greg will be alright for the most part._

_ Nick will eventually kick Greg's butt for putting himself in danger. _

_Greg won't get suspended for his actions but they will have it's consequences.  
_

_He won't have brain damage but as you just read, he does have amnesia. (I'll try to explain that in the next chapter!)  
_

_Everyone will eventually find out about the two but no one at the same time as the other person._

_.. I hope that answered some question. I tried going through and answering all the ones I could find. If you guys have any others let me know. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I promise there will be a lot more of Greg from now on as well as some more drama (; Let me know what you think and I'll try to update soon!  
_


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